[Csobanc]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to sailing and am interested in buying a used sail boat. I'd like to get something that I would want to keep for a few years. I will be sailing in the Carolina sounds. Mostly handling the boat alone. Since these sounds could get fairly shallow I am leaning toward a boat with a 4' max draft, like a Catalina or Hunter 28, manufactured around 1990 - 1995.

Can someone tell me what kind of yearly expenses are invloved with owning a boat this size? I am interested in any expense one can think of. For example: average monthly cost of marina, electric, cleaning the bottom, bottom paint, bearing and shaft seal inspection or replacement, sails etc...

I am planning to keep the boat in water all year around, only hauling her out for repairs, cleaning and or inspections.
The boat would have the following options: Head with holding tank, shower with hot water, inboard diesel engine (10hp - 15hp), 110V and 12 V electic and cooking apparatus (gas or alchohol). Sails: Roller furling genoa, steering: wheel steering.
Any "must have options" I should look for?

I am planning to use the boat fairly regularly, 2-3 days a month minimum.


Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[scottyt]

i say go look at a hunter 27 years 75 to 84, they are solid boats, heavy for their size. they can be found for under 10 k in perfect condition. they are very roomy for the length, have over 6 foot headroom. they have wheel steering, a diesel, head with holding tank. the only thing is hot water is rare on a boat this size, so are showers. you might have to go bigger

here is one for an example 1980 Hunter 27 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

 

[soulfinger]

Caution: vast generalizations ahead, but....

In my mind, going from about a 22-25' boat to about a 27-28' is where the big "step up" in price, complications, systems, etc. occurs. You start getting into boats with real electrical systems, bigger rigs, inboard diesels, AC, real cabin woodwork. You really see that in the difference from something like a Catalina 250 to a Catalina 280. However, don't let this discourage you; I think the enjoyement factor starts going up too....boats become more liveable, and handle better in short seas (momentum helps).

I like Catalinas. 27s and 280's are nice, but if you're looking at those, you should also consider the 30, just because it's a great boat and there's so many of them out there to choose from.

 

[boatpoker]

i say go look at a hunter 27 years 75 to 84, they are solid boats, heavy for their size. they can be found for under 10 k in perfect condition. they are very roomy for the length, have over 6 foot headroom. they have wheel steering, a diesel, head with holding tank. the only thing is hot water is rare on a boat this size, so are showers. you might have to go bigger

here is one for an example 1980 Hunter 27 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Perfect & boat in the same sentence. Wanna buy some Enron stock ? :laugher

 

[scottyt]

boat poker only a surveyor would say that

 

[paulk]

For maintenance/upkeep, we generally budget about 10% of the purchase price per year. Sometimes we go over this, like when we decide to awlgrip the hull. Other times we're under, and just buy a lot of soap and scrub brushes. Another boat you might want to consider is a C&C 27 or 28. They look good without having to be "shiny-bright-spiffed-up", and sail pretty nicely. They shouldn't be too deep for the shallow water around you. The Sabre 28 is also a nice boat, but IMHO needs to be kept to a higher degree of polish to look good than the C&C, and might not perform as well on those hot summer days with light and spotty wind. If you can get a copy of Practical Sailor's Buyer's Guide to Used Sailboats, (see their website or check the local library) it should give you a lot of interesting, informative and useful information.

 

[MSter]

I can not express my satisfaction enough with my Watkins 27. I have owned this boat for less than a year but have yet to find any shortcomings worth mentioning with the overall design for my usage. It has great headroom (6'2") for me @ 5'7", is beamy at 10', and displaces well over 7000K lbs. She is powered by a 15 hp Yanmar which can push her at hull speed. She only drafts 3'8" and I can get out at most ANY tide (you should see the looks of envy I get when similar or larger boats are dock locked because they draft 5+ feet).

As for weekends, she fits my wife and I with ease. Seems to have adequate storage for provisions and holds 40 gals of fresh water. We are anxiously planning a 9 day cruise this Spring. She is very stable and handles the chop well (the wife & boat!). I am very happy with this purchase as our learning platform and fully intend to keep her as long as she fits our needs.

As for maint costs, the bottom gets cleaned every 45 days in the winter at $50 a pop. During the summer months the interval will narrow to every 30 days. My slip costs are average at $370 per month which includes power and water. I try to change the oil and associated filters etc. every 50 hrs at about $50 (about twice yearly by my calcs). General deck hardware, etc is left to an as needed basis, and as other posts in this thread suggested, generally falls into a 10% of purchase price per year. Of course any initial boat purchase can easily exceed the 10% due to pure excitement and modifying her to suit your needs, etc.

 

[Encre2Chine]

Funny idea to have a wheel on a 27/28ft
A must have I would recommand if you want hot water and a few other comfort items, is a shore line and a battery charger.
Not sure where you are so I don;t know if you could find a 2nd hand one in your area (but why not a new one...), but have you thought about a Beneteau First 27.7 ? Lovely, fast yet comfortable to cruise with and well built and solid boat. I would think this is a perfect size for a beginer, and having tried one, I know she's very easy to handle.
Hope this helps a little to confuse your first steps in finding the One ..Sorry

 

[CalebD]

Have you considered an older Tartan 27'? Draft 3'6" with centerboard up, 6' with board down. Yes, it would be an older boat with all that is entailed in that.
Nice lines and sails well. Built like a tank.
Good luck in your search.

 

[boatpoker]

Check out a CS 27. Better built than most, a very good sailer and they tend to be in better shape than the others.

 

[JimsCAL]

Regarding your question about costs, I have problems with estimates based on percent of the boat cost. Does anyone really believe the cost of maintaining a 30 year old boat is going to be fraction of a new one of the same size? Also, slip and winter storage costs vary widely based on location. You just have to run the numbers based on your local costs.

 

[mccary]

There are some beauties but be careful

In today's market place there are some deals for sure, but you need to be careful when about to buy. I would suggest you get a surveyor to look over your selection before you make a final decision. That will let you know what problems (all boats have problems) you are buying into. The other side is there are some good deals on add on items, sail lofts and dealers like Est Marine, Defender, SailNet and a host of others are offering some great deals on selected items.